Police, stakeholders assess strategic plans

In an effort to put in place an inclusive and well prepared planning tool, the police on Thursday presented the final draft of a five-year strategic planning document at its Headquarters in Kacyiru,, an outcome of various consultations with stakeholders and development partners in the past six months. The ‘Strategic Plan of the Rwanda National Police [RNP] 2009 to 2013,’ hints on strategic priorities to be pursued by the police in partnership with the community and stakeholders within the five year period. “In order for our institution to be featured by the principles of modern, effective and democratic policing, Rwanda National Police has endeavored to take into account views from as many stakeholders as possible,” Mary Gahonzire, the acting Commissioner General of Police said in her opening remarks. Gahonzire was optimistic that the involvement of all partners would result into a working document, helpful in planning and weighing up the management of the country’s police force. “It will provide a handy summary to inform the Rwanda National Police and other stakeholders, including donors,” she pointed out. Some of the decisive strategic priorities and objectives embraced are community policing, crime prevention, road safety, capacity development, cooperation with development partners and disaster management. Also highlighted are forensic and medical services, HIV/AIDS and opportunistic diseases in the RNP and structure and functioning, among others. The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) was well represented at the meeting, and they too endorsed the police force’s initiative. Shortly after the meeting, UNIFEM’s Josephine Odera spoke very highly of the force’s gender balance enterprise. “It is very exemplary. Very many people in the region come to see how it is done,” she said, adding that among other things, whenever issues are reported and concerns raised, they are followed up by the RNP. She emphasized that what is required is more support to ensure things improve even at the decentralized level. “We want to see where we can further support,” she said. UNIFEM is the women’s fund at the United Nations that provides assistance to innovative programmes and strategies to foster women’s empowerment and gender equality. Also present at the meeting were Commissioner George Moorcroft, Director Johan Griesel and Sen. Supt. Craig Mitchell of the South African Police Service and, Tommy Brigholm of the Swedish National Police Board, among others. Gahonzire thanked them all, including the Swedish government which provided the necessary funding, for working tirelessly with the RNP Strategic Planning Committee to come up with the final draft document. Participants agreed that seven more days be set aside for the stakeholders to give more in-put and secure possible loopholes in order to produce a final document mid November. Ends